French Duo Sets Record In Transatlantic Crossing

June 22, 1986

Two Frenchmen aboard the 85-foot catamaran Royale set an unofficial race record as they won the Carlsburg Transatlantic double-handed yacht race in a few hours over 13 days. The Royale, skippered by Loic Caradec and crewed by Oliver Despaigne, crossed the finish line at the Brenton Reef tower off Newport, R.I., at 1:12 p.m. Saturday. That would break the record set in 1981 by about one day, seven hours and 42 minutes, according to Lois Muessel, spokeswoman at the finish line. She said, however, that officials at the Royal Western Yacht Club at Plymouth, England, which runs the race, would issue the official crossing time after the Royale`s logs were examined. . . Cees Van Der Velden of The Netherlands won the 20-lap preliminary race of the $90,000 Formula One Grand Prix powerboat series on the Tennessee River. Van Der Velden was followed by Gene Thibodaux. Van Der Velden won $4,500, while Thibodaux won $3,500.